The crisp smell of blood filled the air inside. The place was a wreck, with chairs and tables strewn everywhere, some broken. AJ’s boots crunched on shattered glass as they walked across the floor. His gaze zeroed in first on the body on the floor. He didn’t exhale until he saw it was Larks, then he spotted Teresa sitting at one of the tables being interviewed by one of the detectives that had gone in earlier. Joey sat at a table across the room.

His friends were alive. That was good. Now to figure out what happened. He went directly to the suit interviewing Teresa. The guy stood.

“Who the hell are you?” he asked.

AJ flashed his badge. “AJ Dunn. Federal agent investigating the Fists. This is my partner, Pax Hudson.”

The guy arched a brow, examined their badges and looked them up and down. “You in the middle of this?”

“The fight, yeah,” Pax said. “We were trying to maintain cover so we had no choice. Didn’t know it was going to end up with a murder.”

“So you didn’t see what happened to that guy?”

AJ shook his head. “We got hustled out of here when your black-and-whites showed up. Didn’t see him go down. We weren’t even aware there was a dead guy.”

“Detective John Warren. Why don’t you tell me what you’re working on?” AJ explained what they were doing there, though he embellished a bit about working an undercover case on the Fists so they could stay.

“No one knows your situation?” John asked.

AJ shook his head. “This is my hometown, so I’d appreciate keeping it on the down low.” Though he was afraid it was already too late for that. Teresa had seen him flash his badge and had frowned in confusion. He was going to have to explain to her who and what he really was. And since the Wild Riders kept their identities secret, that wasn’t going to make General Lee very happy.

“So what happened here?” Pax asked.

John looked down at the body. “It appears the leader of the Thorns stabbed the leader of the Fists. Not surprising considering the clashes these two gangs have had with each other over territory.”

Shit. Joey was being pinned for the murder? “Witnesses?”

“No. Well, one, though I question her reliability. Oliveri’s sister claims to be a witness. Said someone else did it. We’re going to bring Joey Oliveri in and take samples. I’m sure the blood on him will be the victim’s.”

AJ needed to talk to Teresa. And Joey. Figure out what happened. “Can we question the suspect and the witness? This could have direct bearing on our investigation.”

“As long as one of my guys is present, fine.”

AJ nodded and went over to Teresa, who stood and flew into his arms, burying her face in his neck. AJ felt wetness against his neck, knew she’d been crying. He put his arms around her. “It’s going to be okay.”

AJ flashed his badge to the officer sitting with her and explained that the detective had given his okay.

She pulled back, and Pax moved to her side. “Tell us what happened.”

The officer in charge of her stood and let Pax and AJ sit, but he stayed close to Teresa.

“Larks and Joey were going at it,” Teresa said, her face pale and streaked with tears. She clasped her hands together and laid them in her lap. “I kept my eye on them because I was afraid for Joey, scared Larks would pull a weapon.”

“Did he?” Pax asked.

She shook her head. “No, but there was so much going on around them, others fighting. It was hard to see, so I moved around the bar.”

AJ winced. “You could have gotten hurt.”

Her gaze shot to his. “I was fine. I can take care of myself.”

Pax leaned over and rubbed her back. “It’s okay. Go on.”

She swallowed and nodded, then wiped her palms on her jeans. “Joey didn’t kill Larks. One of his own guys did.”

“What? Did you see who?”

“Yes. But I don’t know any of their names. All I saw was this guy come up behind Larks and shove a knife into his back. Then he disappeared into the crowd.”

“Did he drop the knife?” AJ couldn’t believe this. One of the Fists killed their leader? Why?

“Not that I could see.”

“Could you pick this guy out again?”

She nodded.

“Stay here with her,” AJ said to Pax. “I’m going to talk to Joey.”

Detective Warner was with Joey, so AJ stood back and listened while Joey recounted the fight.

“It was physical, his fists and mine,” Joey said. “And that was all. I took a punch and went down. Then Larks went down on top of me. I thought he was attacking me, but he was deadweight. I felt something wet covering me. It was blood. A lot of blood. I threw him off me, but he didn’t move.”

Detective Warner wrinkled his nose. “But you didn’t see what happened.”

“Hell no.” Joey laid his head in his hands. “Larks rang my bell with that punch. I was trying to get my bearings again, swaying a little, and holding my arms up to ward off the next punch. By the time I cleared my head enough to get up, he was falling on top of me.”

“You moved him?” the detective asked.

“I had to move him to get him off me. But then when he didn’t come after me again—he was just lying there—I rolled him to the side, saw a rip in his jacket and blood pouring out. I guess he got knifed by someone. I laid him back down and felt for a pulse.” Joey held up his hands. “My hands were covered in blood. I knew it was bad. He was gone. That was right when you guys came in.”

Detective Warner stood as a couple uniformed cops appeared. “Take him to the station for further questioning. I want his clothes and hands tested. He’s already been read his rights.”

The cops nodded and grabbed a handcuffed Joey.

“AJ.”

AJ went over to Joey.

“Yeah?”

“I didn’t do this. On my mother’s soul, I didn’t do this. I don’t know who did, but it wasn’t me.”

AJ patted Joey on the back. “We’ll figure it out.” AJ leaned in further and whispered in Joey’s ear. “And don’t say anything else until you get a lawyer.”

After Joey left, AJ went back to Teresa. The cop watching her was talking to someone else. Pax and Teresa were huddled together, their heads bent, nearly touching. AJ pulled up a chair and Teresa cast a worried gaze at him.

“What did Joey say?”

“That he didn’t do it.”

“Did he see the guy?”

“No. He said Larks punched his lights out for a second. When he came to, Larks was already down. But he didn’t see who knifed him. He just turned him over and saw the blood and the hole in his jacket.”

“Damn.” Teresa dropped her chin to her chest and wrapped her arms around her middle. “This is bad.” She lifted her gaze to both Pax and AJ. “They aren’t going to take my word for it because I’m Joey’s sister. They think I’m lying to protect him.”

“I’m sure they’re going to question everyone who was here. Maybe someone else saw what you did.”

Detective Warner came back. “Ms. Oliveri, we’d like you to come down to the station and try to identify the man you say knifed Larks. We’re going to run through all the Fists we’ve recovered from the fight, see if you can pull any of them out of a lineup.”

“That’s fine.”

“We’ll come along, too,” Pax said.

Warner frowned. “You got a personal stake in this case?”

“We know the people involved, but our vested interested is in the Fists and their hierarchy. There’s a reason their leader was killed.”

Warner nodded. “Let’s go. Ms. Oliveri, you’ll have to come with us.”

She gazed reluctantly at AJ.

“It’s okay, Teresa. We’ll meet you down there.”

After they left, Pax turned to AJ. “You think she’s telling the truth?”

“Yeah. Teresa loves Joey, but she wouldn’t lie to protect him. She’d hate that this happened and she’d stand by his side, but she’d never lie for him.”

“You’re sure?”

AJ didn’t even have to think about it. He knew. “I’m sure.”

“Let’s go, then.”

AJ knew Pax wouldn’t wonder why they were getting involved. He understood friendship and bonds, knew AJ would do the same for him. It’s why they’d stayed friends for the past ten years. They had each other’s back, no matter what.

And it looked like they might be hanging around here for a while.

So much for vacation.

FIVE

TERESA GAVE HER STATEMENT AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, taking it slowly and step by step, recalling everything she’d seen since the fight broke out. She put herself in that place and time, visualizing everything.

It wasn’t the first time she’d been here, giving a statement. She knew how this went.

“The tattoo I saw on the guy was very specific. There was a tribal pattern that covered his entire neck almost up to his jaw. And he had a scar on the right side that went through part of the tattoo.”

“That’s pretty observant.”

She lifted her chin. “When someone’s stabbing someone else in the back, you kind of pay attention to that person, you know?”

The detective nodded. “I suppose you would. And you’d be able to identify the tattoo again if you saw it?”

She nodded. “Definitely. It was unusual and it covered his neck all the way around.”

The detective nodded. “We’ll enter the specifics in the database. If he’s got a record, it’ll come up.”

They had to believe her. Joey didn’t kill Larks. It didn’t matter that she was his sister. Fact was fact and Joey would be proven innocent soon enough.

After she gave her statement, she was allowed to leave. AJ and Pax were waiting for her outside the room, the looks of concern on their faces the only comfort she’d allow herself. What she wouldn’t give to step into their arms.

But that wasn’t who she was, wasn’t what she’d allow herself. She wrapped her arms around herself instead.

“You okay?” AJ asked.

“Fine. I told them what I saw, what really happened.”

“That’s all you can do. What about the lineup?”

“Detective Warner said he’d come get me when they were ready.”

“Can you identify this guy?” Pax asked.

“I’m sure of it. I already gave the detective a description of him. Of course they all wear the Fist leathers, and so did he. But he was totally bald, with pretty specific neck tattoos. Shouldn’t be hard to ID.”

Pax nodded. “I saw a few guys like that in the bar.”

“So did I,” AJ said. “At least it reduces the number of Fists in the lineup.”

“True.” Exhaustion weighed her down. She wanted to go home, crawl into bed and sleep for days. But she had to stay here for Joey. “Do you know anything about Joey?”

“His lawyer’s with him now.”

“Good. I hope this is over with fast.”

Detective Warner came out and motioned to Teresa. “We’re ready for the lineup, Ms. Oliveri.”

Teresa nudged to her left at Pax and AJ. “They’re coming with me.”

“Fine, as long as they don’t speak.”

They stepped into a room with a long, darkened window. Detective Warner stood at the window. “The men will be on the other side. You can see them but they won’t be able to see you. I’ll call them to step toward the window one at a time. After you look at them you can tell me which one is the one you think stabbed Larks.”

“Okay.”

The room was icy cold and she rubbed her arms. Suddenly a leather jacket was placed over her shoulders. She glanced around at Pax. “Thank you.” She slid her arms into the jacket that was miles too big for her, but it was warm from his body heat, and at least she wasn’t shaking anymore.

The room on the other side of the window brightened. Four bald guys stood there, all wearing leathers. Detective Warner called each one to step forward.

Teresa studied each face carefully, noticing the hands and the tattoos on their necks. When they had all stepped forward and back, the detective turned to her.

“These were the only bald guys belonging to the Fists that were present at the scene. Is one of them the guy you claim stabbed Larks?”

Disappointment filled her. “No. He’s not there. Are you sure that’s all of them?”

“Yes.” The detective cast her a sidelong glance, as if he didn’t believe her story.

“I know what I saw. And who I saw. None of those guys was the one who stabbed Larks. He had a distinctive tattoo on his neck. I’d recognize it again if I saw it.”

Detective Warner nodded. “Thank you for your time.”

“That’s it? We’re done?”

“For now.”

“What about my brother?”

“For the moment, he’s our best and only suspect. We’ll wait for the testing on his clothing and body to come back.”

“You’re going to check out that tattoo I told you about, right?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Teresa could already tell from the look on Warner’s face that they believed Joey was the killer. “The guy used a knife to kill Larks. Did you find it?”

“We took weapons off several people in the bar, including your brother. We’re testing all of them.”